Coffee on a mission

from farm to front door.

Drink coffee, save lives

Every cup you drink will help struggling families in one of the most poverty-stricken parts of Central America.

Your very own coffee farm!

Your coffee comes from a specific farm, so you can get to know the people and place behind your favourite drink.

Set it and forget it

No need to remember to pick up coffee at the grocery store — we'll deliver it to your door, however often you choose.

You own the company

We're different. When you become a customer, you also become an equal owner in Ethical Coffee Chain.

Make a real difference and see change happen.

You can become a hero to struggling families in one of the most poverty-stricken parts of Central America - the mountains of northern Nicaragua, where child malnourishment has climbed to around 70%, despite that most families work growing premium coffee for some of the wealthiest coffee brands in the world.

Money from your coffee subscription will provide food, medical attention, schooling and income to families who desperately need it, and give them a better future.

Over time you’ll get to know Gus and his workers, and see the difference you are making for their farm and the surrounding community with your coffee purchases.

We’re here to make your life easier!

All of us have a million things on our plate. Why should remembering to buy more coffee be one of them? As a member of Ethical Coffee Chain, your coffee subscription will be delivered automatically each month.

And if you think you’re going to run out before your next coffee delivery, just call or email us - we'll expedite your coffee-fix!

At ECC, you're much more than a sales number.

We wish we had a direct say in the companies we love, so we've made our company work that way. As a consumer co-operative, each of our members get an equal, democratic vote, a share of profits, and more.

There is literally no middleman standing between you and your farmer. Our system is a complete, unbroken chain connecting our members directly with their farm. Simple!

We've got room for a limited number of first-batch subscribers,
so join now and your first order will ship right away!

THE TASTE

The coffee is smooth with nutty and chocolatey hints and no harsh aftertaste. Done in a dark-medium roast, it’s dark enough to make a great espresso, but still light enough to taste amazing as your morning cup of pot-brewed coffee.

AVAILABLE FORMATS

We're offering the coffee in either whole bean or regular grind, whichever you prefer.

Taking care of his family farm, Santa Elena, Gus has overcome crisis after crisis to keep it afloat —
from cholera, to drought, to the devastation of Hurricane Mitch. And though their shaded slopes produce
"Superior High Grade" green coffee, they’ve struggled to find a stable, fair market, which has badly damaged
their communities. But with your help, they’re reversing the damage. Rebuilding.

Gus has already set up health care and education programs, but much more needs to be done. By enjoying this
coffee, you’ll be making a difference in the lives of hundreds of families.

"I want our farmers to have a way to live their lives with dignity. I dream of bringing potable water
into their houses, to clean the rivers of pollution and to have all of the youngsters from Santa
Elena go to school."

Get live updates from Gus's Farm!

From photos and quick notes to stories, in-depth worker profiles and videos, over time you’ll get to know Gus and his workers, and see the difference you are making for their farm and the surrounding community with your coffee purchases.

Once you join by ordering, have your updates delivered via your choice of email, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Posterous, RSS... You might even get the occasional old-fashioned postcard!

WHY COFFEE?

Coffee is the 2nd most traded commodity in the world, next to only oil, and coffee the 2nd most consumed beverage in the world, next to only water. So even a small change in the coffee industry can make a big difference.

The industry is rife with abuse of workers, child labour, pollution of local environments, and other terrible situations — the consequences of severe market fluctuations, natural disasters, and companies whose only concern is the bottom line.

For the most part, all this is kept conveniently away from coffee consumers while coffee companies quietly profit.

WHY NICARAGUA?

The situation is dire for Nicaraguan coffee labourers and their families. Malnutrition, polluted water, low wages, high food prices, poor infrastructure and sanitation, and lack of access to education and health care are common problems they face each and every day.

But things can get better. If farms could sell their coffee to consumers directly, they could get a fairer price regardless of market fluctuations, and they could guarantee both the long-term sustainability of their business, as well as a better quality of life for their workers and the surrounding community.

We travelled to Nicaragua on a mission to find out the truth about the coffee industry, and saw things we couldn’t understand.

All for the sake of a few cents spared for our cup of coffee, we saw coffee worker families packed like animals in tiny stalls; preventable disease rampant because workers couldn’t afford the simplest of medicines; malnourished kids; poor sanitation; child labour; depression; addictions; and needless tragedy.

We came back knowing that if people could buy farmers’ coffee directly, they could take all the profits wasted on middlemen and instead, both, give coffee workers a better future and coffee drinkers greater value. And we decided to believe that if only we could create a system to connect you to the people on these farms, you would feel the same. It’s been a long, hard journey since then, but finally, with the help of many, it’s becoming reality.

This is the first project of its kind, as far as we are aware — a consumer-owned supply chain connecting people directly to their coffee farmer, allowing a permanent connection between them. Investments will help assure this project stays a permanent reality.

You can invest in Ethical Coffee Chain by buying any number of preference shares, worth $100 each. All shareholders will receive:

An annual rate of return of prime plus 2% on your investment

Good karma, having helped transform the lives and livelihoods of hundreds (and eventually thousands) of farmers and labourers that will be helped by ECC.